Who would have thought Devin McCourty would turn a youth football game into another retirement announcement? As he wrapped up the youth football season, the former Patriots star jokingly announced that he was retiring once again.

“4yrs ago I retired…last night I decided I would come out of retirement for the last game of @cougarjuniorfootball regular season,” Devin McCourty said on his IG post. “Today I’ve decided to retire again… See you next year when I come out of retirement again!!!! Friday Night Lights.”

Devin McCourty announced his retirement from professional football on March 10, 2023, after playing for the New England Patriots for 13 seasons. During his time with the team, he won three Super Bowl titles. Now, he is adding a sarcastic touch to the occasion by joking about retirement once again.

In October, McCourty was coaching a youth football team called the Cougars, which included his son. During their final practice of the season, he put on his old Patriots uniform and faced his own players on the field. The young players surrounded him and tackled him to the ground, making it a fun moment for the team.

Now, he has once again shown up on the field wearing his former team’s No. 32 Patriots jersey, announcing that he has retired again and will return next year.

McCourty joined the NFL in 2010 after the New England Patriots selected him 27th overall in the first round of the draft. He played 205 regular-season games for the team and started every one of them. During his career, he recorded 971 tackles and 35 interceptions. His interception total ranks third in Patriots history, behind Ty Law and Raymond Clayborn.

McCourty became a team captain in his second season and held the role for 12 straight seasons. He was also one of only seven players in NFL history to start in at least five Super Bowls.

McCourty started his career as a cornerback but moved to safety in 2012 because of injuries at the position. He stayed at safety and became one of the Patriots’ key leaders. Another special moment in his career came in 2018, when he played alongside his twin brother, Jason McCourty, and the two won a Super Bowl together.

After retiring from the NFL, Devin McCourty also started working as a football analyst for NBC Sports, where he appears on Football Night in America to discuss NFL games and teams. He also supports charitable work through Tackle Sickle Cell, an initiative he started with his twin brother, Jason, to raise awareness about sickle cell disease and help families affected by it.

Retiring from football was a difficult choice for Devin McCourty, but he slowly realized he was ready to move on. He said he no longer had the same passion for playing, and a shoulder injury gave him time to think about his future.

While recovering, he noticed that his teammate Matt Slater was much more focused on training than he was.

This made Devin realize that his own mindset had changed.

“It turned out to be pretty simple for me,” McCourty said on Pro Football Network 2023. “I didn’t feel like I had the same passion I had previously.”

After spending time with his family on vacation, he became sure that he did not want to return to football.

Now that he has closed the chapter on his NFL career, he is focusing on life beyond it.